The last few decades have been marked by an increase in the number of scholars engaged in publishing papers on early and preschool education. The area related to the study of the child over time gained a much better position than it initially had. The term child is often accompanied by the term childhood. It is a specific period in human development and has many characteristics. The view of the child and childhood has alternated throughout history. From ancient times to the present day, the child has changed his role in the family, from a passive object of upbringing and education to a modern, active partner who participates in decisions concerning his life and position in society. The aim of the paper is to theoretically present the development of the paradigm of childhood within which an overview of the meaning of the concept of paradigm and multiple understandings of the child and his childhood is given. The paper presents the historical development of the image of the child, which follows the time sequence from antiquity to the present, modern curriculum of early and preschool education.